ABSTRACT

Most literature on sexual fetishes focuses on maldevelopment, abnormality, and stigma. Benefits and psychosocial aspects of practising fetishes are seldom documented. We aimed to explore the sensations, perceptions, and socioemotional experiences involved in practicing fetishes. We recruited 316 participants from various websites and social media platforms geared specifically for people with fetishes. Participants completed our online anonymous questionnaire which yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. When asked what they wanted the world to know about their fetish, content analysis showed that those who engage in fetishes gave responses that fell into the categories of what fetishes are not, what fetishes are, about the practice itself, and about negative aspects. Participants had typical Satisfaction with Life scores. Participants had lower than typical Mate Value Scale scores (a gauge of one’s own perceived desirability) with some exception. Results suggest generally positive experiences and attitudes among those who practice fetishes and support the notion that fetishes are not inherently pathological.

摘要

大多数关于性恋物癖的文献都集中在发育不良、异常和耻辱上。很少记录练习恋物的好处和社会心理方面。我们旨在探索练习恋物所涉及的感觉、感知和社会情感体验。我们从专门针对恋物癖的各种网站和社交媒体平台招募了 316 名参与者。参与者完成了我们的在线匿名问卷，该问卷产生了定量和定性数据。当被问及他们希望世界了解他们的恋物癖时，内容分析表明，那些从事恋物癖的人给出的回答属于恋物癖不是什么、什么是恋物癖、关于实践本身以及消极方面的回答。参与者有典型的生活满意度得分。参与者的分数低于典型的伴侣价值量表分数（衡量一个人自己感知的可取性），但有一些例外。结果表明，那些从事恋物癖的人普遍具有积极的经历和态度，并支持恋物癖本质上不是病态的观念。